


Silver Wings

by madeofstone



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, Eventual Romance, F/F, Falling In Love, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Lesbian Character, Lesbian Sex, Oral Sex, Potential Triggers, Romance, Slow Burn, Strap-Ons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-06
Updated: 2018-03-07
Packaged: 2019-03-14 12:10:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13589775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madeofstone/pseuds/madeofstone
Summary: The one where Regina is a pilot with a reputation, and Emma is the single-mother flight attendant. They both have more baggage than luggage.





	1. Welcome Aboard

Regina sits in her usual coffee shop sipping her tea, staring out into the chaos. 

 

Mothers and fathers drag screaming toddlers along behind them, bracing themselves for the inevitable horrors of the security gate. The brisk clacking of heels signals the self-assured strides of businesswomen who are on planes more often than they are not. First-time flyers are easily identified by the unsure, halting steps and the glazed-over expressions on their faces. Sports teams and school groups travel in large, noisy hoards full of indistinguishable conversations. 

 

Regina spots flight crew members from numerous airlines weaving competently through the disorder to their expedited security gates. 

 

Checking her watch, she stands and tosses her empty cup in the recycling bin. She turns to leave and feels another body collide with her own. She is enveloped in unruly blonde curls, a stream of curses, and her blouse is soaked with steaming hot coffee. 

 

Letting out a hiss of pain at the burning sensation currently assaulting her chest, she jumps back. 

 

"Shit! I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry!"

 

Regina seethes, though anyone looking at her might think she was simply annoyed at a fly buzzing around her head. She's been trained to carefully control her emotions, never letting them dictate her actions or reactions. 

 

She quickly turns to the drink station, grabbing a fistful of napkins and attempting to at least lessen the damage. It's no use, her jacket is soaking wet, and the once-cream blouse now boasts a spreading brown stain. She sighs in frustration at the unexpected delay and then hears the apologetic voice again, from behind her. 

 

"I'm really sorry about that! Please let me help. What can I do?"

 

She turns to face the imbecile who has wrecked her schedule and routine, and is met with apologetic, wide sea green eyes surrounded by a concerned face and ridiculously long waves of blonde hair. The stranger bites her lip, and has the decency to look sheepish. 

 

Regina gives her a look of cold indifference, and spins on her heel to walk away, rushing to the bathroom to change, glad her personality requires that she is always prepared for such inconveniences. 

 

"Hey, wait! I really am sorry. Let me help you."

 

She feels a hand wrap around her arm. She wrenches her arm away from the contact, as if she has been burned, and turns to face the stranger again. She looks her up and down slowly noting the dark skinny jeans and atrocious red, leather jacket that encases, what Regina grudgingly admits to herself is, a long, lean, and attractive body. 

 

"I believe you've helped me enough for one day, don't you?" Regina tries to pack the eleven words with as much ice as she can muster. 

 

The blonde withdraws her hand, and looks taken aback by the hostility. 

 

"Fine, lady. I'm sorry, but mistakes happen. Have a little sympathy."

 

The blonde looks irritated now, and before she can stop the thought, Regina notes that the spark of fire in the green eyes is more than a little attractive.

 

"Mistakes happen when people are careless."

 

Without another word, she again turns to walk away, this time without protest. 

 

* * *

 

Rushing to the nearest restroom, Regina checks her watch again. She knows she has plenty of time, she always does. She walks into the largest stall, pulling out one of her changes of clothes from her suitcase. She makes quick work of the wardrobe change, placing the ruined clothes in their own pocket of the suitcase. She hurries to the sink, washing the sticky, sugary coffee remnants off her hands. She looks up into the mirror, checking that her dark, sleek hair and impeccable make-up have remained unscathed by the bumbling blonde idiot. Satisfied, she straightens the silver wings on her lapel, and heads back into the crowd. 

 

Hopeful to avoid any further delay, she makes her way to the crew security gate. Flashing her ID, she nods at the familiar security agents as she makes her way through the metal detector and walks briskly into the depths of the airport. She walks to the flight planning room for a brief route-planning meeting with Jones and Locksley before heading to her gate. 

 

She arrives at gate C4, and hurries over to the check-in desk.

 

She spares a small, rare smile for Eugenia Lucas, one of the most competent desk attendants she knows, for whom Regina has a soft spot. The grey-haired woman looks up at her with a nod.

 

"Good morning, Eugenia. How is everything looking today?"

 

"Everything is right on schedule. Maintenance check is almost finished. A bit later than usual, aren't you?"

 

"Yes. Don't get me started."

 

Eugenia smirks, thankful she's not the object of Regina Mills' wrath. She hands the freshly printed papers to the brunette.

 

"I won't. Have a safe flight. Welcome aboard, Captain Mills."


	2. Off We Go

Emma watched the brunette storm away. As she enjoyed the form of the retreating figure, Emma cursed her own clumsiness. 

 

_You just had to give the smoking hot woman a third-degree burn, didn't you?_

 

Emma recalled how the woman's face and voice had betrayed little emotion during the accident. One might think the brunette had been highly unaffected by the situation, but Emma had seen the chocolate irises cloud and darken with anger. 

 

_You aren't as cold as you'd like people to believe. There's some fire beneath that ice._

 

Emma smirked at the thought. She'd love to experience that heat. Unfortunately, even if their first meeting had gone a little better, an airport meeting didn't bode well for another chance encounter. The woman was probably on her way to another big city where she had a fancy car, a penthouse, a perfect husband, and two perfect kids waiting on her. The darker woman's demeanor practically oozed wealth and power, and Emma would bet her last dollar that the brunette's blouse costed more than her entire outfit. 

 

Thinking of her wardrobe, Emma glanced at her watch, and cursed again. She needed to go change. She couldn't be late for her first day on the job. 

* * *

 

Emma exited the security gate frazzled, trying to ignore the smirks on the faces of the TSA agents. If they had grown up in the worst neighborhoods imaginable with no one to protect them, they might have forgotten to take their pepper spray and pocket knife out of their bag too. This was definitely not the way she had imagined her first day starting. 

 

Trying to shake off the stress, she checked her boarding pass for the millionth time just to make sure her gate number hadn't magically changed during the 20 minute security fiasco. It hadn't, of course. So she started following the clearly marked signs to the Enchanted Airlines terminal. When she got to the check in desk, she was greeted by a grey- haired woman who eyed her suspiciously. 

 

"You the new girl?"

 

"That's me."

 

"Cutting it a little close, aren't you? Crew members are supposed to be here 45 minutes before boarding begins."

 

"Yes. I had an... unexpected delay."

 

The woman grunted noncommittally, and began typing rapidly on her computer. Shortly, papers began spitting out of the printer to her right. The elderly woman grabbed them, glanced at the name next to the employee ID number, and shoved them unceremoniously into Emma's hands. 

 

"Miss Swan, this is one of the best flight crews in the company for a reason. Captain Mills prefers perfection over excellence. I'd be careful if I were you. The Captain's wrath comes quickly, and you don't want it to be directed at you."

 

The ominous warning had Emma sweating. This Mills guy must be a stickler. 

 

"I'll be sure not to get on his bad side." 

 

Emma turned toward the open doorway to the plane, missing the mischievous grin on Eugenia's face.

 

Emma took deep breaths as she walked down the seemingly endless hallway to the plane. 

 

_You can do this. This is a stable, safe job. You NEED this stable, safe job._

 

Just before entering the plane, she glanced down at her outfit, thinking for the hundredth time that flight attendant attire did not suit her. She took another breath, and stepped onto the plane. 

* * *

She was immediately greeted by a tall, lanky brunette. 

 

"Hi! You must be the new girl! I'm Ruby."

 

"Emma Swan. Nice to meet you."

 

"It's so nice to have someone my age on board. I really loved working with Adelaide, but it was a little difficult to relate personally to someone who has nine grandkids, you know? Oh, and this is Kathryn, the lead flight attendant. Kathryn, this is Emma Swan, the new attendant."

 

As the older blonde woman approached them, Emma could feel herself being sized up. Apparently Ruby's enthusiasm for a new crew member wasn't exactly matched by her new boss. 

 

"Miss Swan, try to be a little earlier from now on. The 45 minute rule is the requirement, not the expectation."

 

"I understand. I'll make sure to arrive earlier next time."

 

Just then, Emma heard a deep, gruff voice behind her. 

 

"Oh, Kat, give the new girl a break. It's her first flight."

 

Emma whipped around to see a roguishly handsome dark haired man in a pilot's uniform. Clear blue eyes ran up and down her form appraisingly. Emma internally cringed at the unwelcome attention. 

 

"Captain Mills?" 

 

The man chuckled and continued on in his lilting Irish accent. 

 

"Not quite, love. I'm Killian Jones, the flight engineer. Mills is checking some last minute changes in the cockpit."

 

Just then, a man with sandy blonde hair, a chiseled jaw, and a kind face emerged from the cockpit area.

 

"Ah, Robin. Come meet the newest addition to our flight crew. Emma Swan, meet First Officer Locksley."

 

Emma shook hands with the man, still nervous to meet the mysterious captain. She was sure he'd be older, with graying hair and hard eyes. Maybe he had some military experience. That would explain the alleged rigidity. Killian's voice brought her out of her thoughts. 

 

"Oh, here's the Captain now. Captain Mills, meet Emma Swan, our newest addition."

 

Emma turned, words dying on her lips as every ounce of moisture in her mouth dried up. 

 

She was met with smoky brown eyes, sinful red lips, and a blouse that was, surprisingly, devoid of any coffee stains. 

 

 _Oh shit,_ she thought. 

 

 

 

 


	3. Taking Off

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. Hopefully the two chapters make up for it. I am excited to see where this story takes us. There will be some mentions of past abuse in these chapters, and mentions of a potentially triggering interaction with a passenger.

"Miss Swan, a pleasure, I'm sure."

 

The silky smooth voice held a slight rasp, but betrayed no emotion and gave no hint to their early encounter. There was, if Emma wasn't mistaken, a slight glint in the Captain's eyes.

 

It took several awkward moments before Emma realized that the Captain's hand was extended. She hurriedly grasped it, trying not to shiver at the contact as the Captain gave her a once over.

 

"I expect Ms. Nolan will give you the rundown of the requirements of the job. Keep in mind, Ms. Swan, that I run one of the best flight crews in the company. I won't allow  _anyone_ to place a stain on that reputation. There is no room for clumsiness here."

 

The last sentence was laced with a meaningful tone, and Emma blushed, remembering her outburst at the Captain in the coffee shop. Before she could formulate a response, Kathryn intervened.

 

"Captain, passengers are about to begin boarding."

 

"Understood. Locksley and Jones, let's do our last pre-flight checks."

 

Robin turned immediately to follow the Captain. Killian turned towards Emma to give her a eye-roll, as if taking orders from the Captain was a burden. Emma decided it wouldn't be difficult to dislike the dark-haired man. Despite the private insubordination, Jones followed the other two pilots into the cockpit. 

 

Kathryn immediately began giving Emma countless instructions on procedures and requirements that had not been covered at the general training she had attended. Emma struggled to retain everything, determined to do a good job. She had someone back at home who needed her to keep this job. She swore Henry would have the stability and constancy she had been denied all her life. 

 

The first passengers began boarding, and Emma was swept away in a flurry of activity. Everything happened in a blur, with Ruby stepping in to help her and remind her of small things she had forgotten from training. The last passenger boarded, and shoved his backpack in the only remaining available slot. Emma slammed the compartment door until she heard its satisfying click. 

 

With everyone settled, she heard Kathryn's voice come over the loudspeaker, guiding the other two attendants through the monotonous and repetitive dance that was the safety briefing. As they came to the conclusion of the safety requirements, Emma felt the plane lurch backwards from the gate. 

 

"You can take your seat now, Emma. We are about to take off."

 

Ruby's reassuring voice calmed Emma's nerves. It's not that she hated flying. But she _may_ have exaggerated slightly on her application when she said she absolutely loved it. She went to take her seat at the back of the plane, checking the passengers' seat belts one last time as she made her way to the rear. 

 

Just as she fastened her own belt, she heard Kathryn give the announcement that they were cleared for takeoff. She felt the plane gather speed, and felt the small lurching sensation in her stomach that indicated they were no longer touching solid ground. 

 

* * *

 

 _Takeoff_. 

 

In all her 14 years on the job, Regina had never tired of feeling the Earth slip away from beneath her. She felt more alive in the sky than she ever did on the ground. The first time she experienced takeoff in a cockpit, she  _knew_ she had been born to be a pilot.  

 

As the plane reached cruising altitude, Regina felt a serene calm that she only ever experienced while flying. Here, she was Queen of her ship. She had absolute control and unshakeable confidence. The sky was endlessly stretched out in front of her. She experienced the feeling of complete liberation, despite the painstakingly crafted flight plan she was following. 

 

She preferred not to speak during flights any more than necessary, a fact both of her pilot-mates had learned early on.

 

She spared both of them a side glance and sighed internally.

 

Robin's kind face and calm smiles made her feel guilty for the sheer number of times she had turned down his offers of dinners or movies. A widow of six years, Robin was a single father, and a damn good pilot. He was a dependable, solid man in a storm, and Regina enjoyed their working relationship. Many times, she wished she could feel something more for him. She appreciates and respects Robin's calm demeanor and steadfastness in the cockpit, but those same traits grate on her nerves on a personal level. He has no fire in him, and sometimes, Regina enjoys a little heat. 

 

Killian Jones, in contrast to Robin, doesn't have a calm bone in his body. The younger pilot boasts a quick temper and an ego as wide as the wingspan of the Boeing 737 she was currently piloting. But his instincts as a pilot are solid, and Regina sees a bit of her younger self in him. She too had been eager to prove herself, and she too had been accused of having a quick temper. 

 

Her thoughts flashed to the rest of her crew. Kat, the most competent head flight attendant she had ever worked. And, Regina grudgingly added to herself, the first person she had considered to be a friend in a long time.

 

Ruby was full of youthful energy, and had a complicated history. Her mother abandoned her at a young age, and she was taken in by Eugenia. Regina remembered the day the crotchety old woman had asked her for a job for they young brunette. Regina was hesitant, having a high standard for members of her crew. But Ruby had proven to be charming and hard-working. Kat had taken a particular liking to her and had taken her under her wing. 

 

Her musings finally brought her thoughts to Emma Swan. Regina smirked to herself, remembering the look of horror on the blonde's face when she realized who her Captain was. Regina had not been allowed to sit in on the hiring interviews, much to her despair. But she had been allowed to see the written applications. She recalled that Emma Swan had been at the top of her class at the police academy before abruptly leaving. Beneath the question which asked, "Why do you want this job?" she had simply written: I'm looking for a stable job with predictable, if not standard, hours. The rest of the application had been exemplary, with stellar letters of recommendations from her instructors at the police academy. If she was honest with herself, Regina had been hoping that Emma Swan would be the one to get the job. On paper, she seemed like the best candidate by far. 

 

However, Regina was not expecting a tall, toned woman with long blonde curls, dangerously fiery green eyes, and a tendency to spill hot coffee on strangers. But the pilot resigned herself to give the blonde another chance to prove herself before making any decisions. 

 

_Let's see how her first flight goes._

 

* * *

Her first flight had gone well. Kathryn had only corrected her once, and she had been giving a grudging nod from Captain Mills as the second round of passengers boarded the plane that would take the flight crew back to New York, the city they all called home. Her second takeoff had been much less stressful, and it gave Emma hope that eventually, she would acclimate to working life on a plane. 

 

Emma walked down the aisle, taking drink orders from her assigned section. She passed seats with young children in them, and her heart ached a bit. In the last row of her section, was a handsome man in a well-cut suit. Confidence rolled off him in waves. He smiled at her and gave her a once-over that had her wanting to shrink into herself. 

 

"I swear, flight attendants here get more  _enchanting_ every time I fly."

 

Emma chuckled along with him at his attempt at a joke, determined to give good customer service, even to the douchiest of douches. 

 

"What kind of alcohol do you have for me?"

 

Emma shot him her best fake smile. 

 

"If you'll look at the menu in your seat back pocket, you'll be able to view our selection."

 

He winked at her as he reached for his menu, taking his time perusing the options.

 

"I'll have the Cabernet Sauvignon."

 

"Excellent, sir." I'll have that right out for you."

 

"I'll be waiting."

 

Emma barely refrained from wincing as she made her way to the back. As she began pouring the drinks, she felt a slight rumble that indicated the plane was hitting a little turbulence. Immediately, she heard the gentle ding and Kathryn's soothing voice signifying that the Captain had turned on the fasten seatbelt sign. Emma continued pouring drinks, remembering that there would be a specific command if things were dicey enough for the flight attendants to also be seated. 

 

Just as she cracked open the third can of ginger ale, she felt a presence behind her. Assuming it was Kathryn or Ruby, she continued pouring. Suddenly, she felt a body press up against her, and thick arms come around her, effectively trapping her against the counter. She felt hot breath on her neck, and a familiar voice whispering in her ear.

 

"I could tell you want this as much as I do. Let's take care of this quickly."

 

Emma felt his hand reach for the buttons on her blouse. She wrenched herself out of his grasp, just as her self-defense instructor had taught her.

 

"Sweetie, don't fight what we both know is inevitable."

 

He came back towards her to trap her again. A long-forgotten panic swelled up inside of her. She felt her fist make a crunching contact with his nose. He fell to the floor with blood spurting out of his nose. 

 

"Bitch!" he shouted.

 

 _And Emma blacked out._   

 

 


	4. Turbulence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just like the last chapter, some mentions of past and present non-con situations that might be triggering. Nothing will be graphic, but the content might still be difficult.

_"Bitch!"_

 

_Emma was still too young to quite understand what that word meant, but her foster father only said it when he had been drinking the stinky juice. So she knew it wasn't a nice word. Nothing he did was nice when he drank the stinky juice._

 

_She held tightly to her stuffed swan, a gift from her previous family. They had been so nice and loving until they found out they were miraculously pregnant. Emma had been sent back to the group home immediately._

 

_Her foster mother cowered in the corner, hoping to make herself invisible to him. Even at 8 years old, Emma knew that wouldn't work. At night, she tried her best to make herself disappear into her bed. But it never worked. His hard body and thick arms still trapped her fragile body. Her tears soaked the pillow long after he was gone, and the feeling of being trapped wouldn't go away for hours._

 

* * *

 

 

Kat heard shouting from the back of the plane. A few of the passengers who weren't wearing headphones or asleep also turned towards the noise. Seeing nothing, they turned back to their laptops and books. 

 

Kat made her way to the attendant compartment, tucked neatly out of sight in the rear. Though Kat was trained to deal with unexpected emergencies, the scene that greeted her still took her by surprise for a moment. 

 

A well-dressed man was on the floor, his nose bleeding profusely. 

 

Emma Swan, the newest addition to her team, who Kat still hadn't made her mind up about, was in the fetal position on the floor nearby. Her eyes were glazed over and she was shaking. Kat had seen this too many times before. 

 

"That bitch broke my nose. I'm suing this company for everything they have." 

 

The man's angry voice broke Kat's concentration on Emma. Kat saw something dark in the man's eyes, and immediately began putting the pieces together.

 

"Sir, I'm sorry the turbulence caused you to sustain an injury. It is for this  _exact_ reason that the Captain has turned on the fasten seatbelt sign. The company can obviously not be blamed for your negligence."

 

"My nose didn't break because of the damn turbulence. Your flight attendant broke it."

 

"Our flight attendants have been given extensive training. Miss Swan is a professional. I'm sure you are highly mistaken, Mr..."

 

"Spencer. James Spencer. And I'm not mistaken, sweetheart. I'll have everyone on this plane fired."

 

Kat glanced down at the logo on the man's tie bar. And she smirked. 

 

"Mr. Spencer, I see that you work for Nostos Inc."

 

The man grinned, sure that the influential company name would help him.

 

"Why yes, sweetheart, I do. And I'm sure with one call I can take a significant amount of business away from this airline. You don't know who you're messing with."

 

Kat used her most sickeningly sweet, rehearsed flight attendant voice. 

 

"Actually,  _sweetheart._ My name is Kathryn Nolan. You might recognize the last name. I share it with my husband, Frederick. He works at the same company, except his name has C.E.O. after it. Your company uses our airline because he met me on a flight, and he's a sentimental man. So you see, you don't know who  _you_ are messing with. Now I'm sure whatever  _emergency_ brought you back here can wait until we land, don't you agree?"

 

The man, who had paled considerably throughout the speech simply got up, and quickly made his way back to his seat.

 

As soon as he was gone, Kat turned back to Emma. Her eyes were still glazed over, and she heard her murmuring weakly.

 

"Stop. Please stop. Please."

 

Kat's heart ached. She wanted to reach out to comfort her, but she knew from experience what a bad idea that was. So she spoke in a firm voice. 

 

"Emma. Come on now. Come back. Emma"

 

* * *

 

_Emma. Come on now. Come back. Emma._

 

Emma sat up with a jolt. She was sitting on the floor, sweating. And she heard a loud rumbling noise. 

 

_A plane. You are on a plane. Because you are a flight attendant now. Not a scared little girl. A strong, grown up woman._

 

Kathryn looked down on her cautiously. Emma felt heat hit her face as she remembered what happened. 

 

"I am so so sorry, Kathryn. It was just a reflex. God. Please don't fire me. I swear it won't happen again. I can explain. When I was young, I..."

 

"Emma. The passenger who unintelligently got up when the seat belt sign was on has returned to his seat. Although he sustained what looks to be a very painful injury as the result of turbulence, he will be fine."

 

Emma looked at her with grateful and relieved eyes. 

 

"Thank you, Kathryn."

 

Kathryn nodded. 

 

"Will you be okay to finish out the flight? I'll move you to my section, and I'll take yours. If not, Ruby and I can handle the last two hours."

 

"I'd prefer to keep working. It will help me more than just sitting around."

 

Kathryn nodded again. 

 

"Understood. I'll finish up back here. You go ahead up front."

 

Emma turned to leave.

 

"Oh, and Emma? Your story is _yours_ to tell when you want. You don't ever  _owe_ anyone your story as an explanation, understood?"

 

Emma turned, and it was her turn to nod. 

 

"And one last thing, should another passenger ever get up during turbulence and ask you for help with an  _emergency_ , I would suspect that they would probably also sustain some injuries."

 

With that, Kathryn turned away. Emma sagged in relief, thankful for Kathryn's support and understanding that weren't accompanied by pitying looks.

 

She hurried past the last row, not even glancing in that direction. When she got to the front, Ruby didn't question the change, and Emma was grateful. 

 

The last two hours of the flight passed in a blur, and Emma ducked away into the front alcove while the last few passengers left. 

 

Shortly after, the two secondary pilots exited the cockpit, bidding everyone goodnight. Ruby left shortly after, chirping that "Granny" was waiting on her. Emma stuck around to tell Kathryn thank you one more time. 

 

As the older blonde woman made her way up the aisle checking for trash, Emma walked towards her. 

 

"Hey Kathryn, I just wanted to say th-"

 

"Okay Kat, let's go over the flight report so we can both go home."

 

* * *

 

 

Regina saw green eyes widen at her as she exited the cockpit. 

 

Regina's eyebrows shot up at the sight of not one, but two blondes remaining on the plane. 

 

"Miss Swan, it's customary for you to arrive early, not to leave late."

 

"Yeah. Haha I was just going to-"

 

"She had some things she wanted to talk to me about. I'll just give you the report, and then we will be out of your hair."

 

"That's fine. We can do the abbreviated version. Any major incidents that I should be aware of?"

 

Emma looked at the ground, and Kat hesitated. 

 

"One passenger obtained a broken nose during turbulence. He was out of his seat."

 

Regina took one look at Emma's bruised knuckles, and realization dawned on her. 

 

"Miss Swan. Honestly, this is not the police academy. We do not solve problems with violence. What were you thinking? The company might be implicated."

 

Kat broke in,

 

"Regina, wait. It's not what-"

 

"Nolan, you'd do well to remember that on this plane, my title is Captain. You know that I run a tight operation, and I have no tolerance for this kind of behavior. I thought you were of the same opinion."

 

Regina had made her voice ice cold now. 

 

When she turned around to let the cold rage fly at the other blonde, Emma Swan was gone. 

 

She turned to face Kat again. Her normally calm friend's eyes were burning. Her voice had no inflection, but Regina could hear a slight wobble that hinted at controlled anger.

 

"Emma was alone in the back of the plane, and I heard a commotion. When I went back, the scumbag was on the floor with a bloody nose, and Emma was curled up in a ball. She was having some kind of flashback. I know, because I've seen it many times before. I've also been on the receiving end of a bloody nose because of such flashbacks. Although, based on my interactions with the man, I believe my intentions were much better than his."

 

After her angry tirade, Kat turned to complete her duties.

 

"Kat wait, I-"

 

Her friend whipped around. 

 

"No, Regina. You owe me an apology, but I can wait. You owe someone else one more. Go make it right."

 

With that, she shoved the Captains suitcase in to her hands. 

 

Regina sighed in resignation. She knew her friend was right. How could she have been so quick to judge? Something about Emma Swan had her all out of sorts, and she didn't want to think too much about what it might be. 

 

She took a breath, and turned quickly to try to catch the blonde. 

 


	5. Rocky Landing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it has taken me so long to update. The flu and grad school are not friends. I think meeting this new character will hopefully make up for it.

Emma ran down the exit ramp, trying to calm her breathing. She had been trying to keep her emotions from the incident at bay, but they were fighting to come to the surface. She had thought Kathryn's reaction had meant that she'd get to keep her new job, but Captain Mills was probably going to fire her now. She knew the therapist she had seen last year would tell her to stay away from self-loathing thoughts, but she couldn't help it. 

 

_Emma, you idiot. You couldn't just handle it like an adult. You had to go breaking people's noses._

 

She walked to the counter where Eugenia and, surprisingly, Ruby were standing. As she approached, they were whispering in hushed tones. Trying to hold back tears and pretend she didn't know they were talking about her, Emma put her exit papers on the desk. 

 

"Ruby! What are you still doing here?"

 

The pair turned to look at her. Emma expected pitying eyes. But, much like Kathryn, they both surprised her. Ruby looked at her with understanding, like she  _knew_ what Emma had just gone through. Eugenia looked at her with less guarded and kinder eyes than she had before takeoff.

 

It was all too-fucking-much for Emma right now. She turned quickly on her heel and sprinted toward the airport exit, not even bothering to see if Eugenia needed anything else from her. 

 

She all but ran for the door. She wanted her apartment, a warm meal, a good cry, and a good night's sleep with her favorite person beside her. 

 

Just as her feet hit the blessed sidewalk outside the airport, she heard someone calling her name. 

 

"Miss Swan!"

 

_Holy shit. This woman doesn't stop._

 

Emma kept walking. The tears were really threatening to spill over now. 

 

"Miss Swan, wait!"

 

Suddenly, all the sadness and disappointment Emma had been bottling up all day turned to a surge of hot anger. She reeled around to face the brunette Captain. 

 

"Look Captain Mills, I know you're my boss. I know you are probably going to fire me. But honestly, I don't want to hear from you right now. I've just had one of the longest fucking days of my life. I spilled hot coffee on my new boss, I got held up at security, and then some scumbag tried to assault me in the back of the plane, and I had a flashback to some really shitty things that happened to me a long time ago. And I'm so very fucking sorry that I ruined your  _picture-perfect_ flight crew that prides itself on  _perfection_ _over fucking excellence,_ but maybe I'm just not cut out for this."

 

Emma's anger started to run dry, and the realization of what she had just said to Captain Regina Mills struck her. The Captain's face had remained impassive throughout most of her tirade. The blonde thought she saw a flash of _something_ in the dark eyes when she mentioned the assault, but it was gone too quickly to be sure. Emma just wished for once, the woman would react to something like a human, instead of a robot. As she spent the last of her anger, the sadness and exhaustion seeped back in to take its place. 

 

"And I know you probably came all this way to tell me I don't have a job anymore, but I really, really have to get home. I have someone important waiting on me. So if you could just have someone from the company call me tomorrow, that would be really great."

 

For the second time that day, Emma turned and walked away from the Captain. 

 

"Remember when you grabbed my arm at the coffee shop? That's one of my triggers."

 

The words were so unexpected, Emma stopped in her tracks. She slowly turned to face the older woman. The Captain's face was still unreadable.

 

"I came to apologize for my hasty and harsh reaction on the plane. I've been very out of sorts today, though that is no excuse for my behavior. I can promise you that in the future, I will do my best to understand the situation before I react."

 

Emma could tell that apologies came rarely for the Captain. Her words were unsure, and she seemed more rattled now than she had when Emma had spilled a hot beverage down her shirt. Emma looked at the other woman, and gave her a stiff nod, acknowledging the apology. She again turned to go, but was stopped once more by the silky voice. 

 

"Miss Swan? One last thing."

 

At this point, the brunette came very,  _very_ close to Emma. 

 

"If you  _ever_ speak to me in that tone again, I'll make sure you never work for another airline as long as you live. Are we clear, Miss Swan?"

 

Regina's face was inches from hers, and the smell of her light perfume had short-circuited Emma's brain. She made the mistake of glancing down at full, red lips, and she suddenly couldn't breathe. She finally forced herself to look back at intense brown eyes. She sounded much more breathless than she wanted when she responded.

 

"Crystal, Captain."

 

The shrill ringing of Emma's cell phone broke the intensity of the moment, and Emma gratefully reached for the distraction, her face lighting up when she saw who it was. 

 

"Henry. Hi.... Yes, I missed you so much too.... Yes, I'll be home soon....Yes, very soon... I love you too. Bye."

 

"Well Miss Swan, you're clearly in a hurry to go see  _Henry_. I will see you in a few days."

 

With that, the Captain abruptly walked away.

 

_What was that about? Does she not like kids? Does she think I can't do my job with a kid?_

 

Emma shook off the thoughts, utterly exhausted from trying to figure that woman out. She headed to the parking garage and tried her best not to speed on the way home.

 

* * *

Emma knocked on the door of apartment 4B. An older woman with a dark pixie-cut opened the door with a kind smile. 

 

"Emma. How was your first day?"

 

"It was an adjustment for sure, but it went well, I think."

 

Emma felt guilty about lying, but she couldn't handle Mary-Margaret's sympathy. It was overwhelming in its sincerity. The older woman had been a flight attendant for years. She even met her husband, David, on the job. David was a plane mechanic, and Emma had never met two people more suited for one another. The couple had tried for years to have children with no success. Adoption also hadn't worked out for them. So when Emma moved in across the hall, a single mother with a one-year-old boy full of smiles and giggles, Mary-Margaret and David had happily taken them under their wings.

 

Mary-Margaret's flight schedule was exactly the opposite of Emma's, and when she had suggested Emma apply for the job, she had casually mentioned she'd be happy to watch Henry while Emma worked. 

 

"MOOOOOOMMMMMYYYY! You home now!"

 

Emma felt a familiar weight collide with her legs. She picked up her son and brushed the mop of brown hair out of his face. 

 

"Hey Hen, were you good for Mary-Margaret?"

 

His little face got serious, and Emma had to try her best not to laugh. 

 

"Yes Mommy. I was very good just like you said. Right, Auntie M?"

 

Emma's heart clenched at how Henry's _very_ came out _vewy._

 

"Yes, Henry. You were very well behaved."

 

Henry beamed like he just won an award.

 

"Mommy, we go home now?"

 

"Yes, Hen. What do you say to Auntie M?"

 

"Thanks Auntie M! Love you!"

 

The dark-haired woman's eyes misted over at the last part, and Emma ducked away before any waterworks started. Carrying Henry on one hip and rolling her suitcase with her free hand, she fumbled around with her keys before finally getting the door to 4A open. 

 

Emma collapsed on the couch, and Henry jumped down and ran around laughing, thankful to be reunited with his toys, though Emma was pretty sure Mary-Margaret and David had bought more toys for their apartment than Emma had for hers. She smiled as she watched Henry flying his newest plane around, his chubby fingers guiding it through the air.

 

Since Emma had told him about her new job, Henry had become obsessed with planes.

 

"Mommy, was it scary to fly on the big plane?"

 

"No, Hen. It wasn't scary. We flew high up in the air, even higher than the clouds."

 

Henry's green eyes widened and rounded. He jumped back on her lap and started quizzing her.

 

"Was the plane big?"

 

"Yes. Very big."

 

"Was it loud?"

 

"Yes. Very loud."

 

"Did you fly it?"

 

"No, Hen. Remember, I'm the flight attendant. I help the passengers. The Captain flies the plane."

 

"I know you're the flight 'tendant. But  _I_ think flight 'tendants should fly the plane too."

 

Emma laughed at his pronunciation of her job title and his logic.

 

"Only the Captain flies the plane. It's a very hard job, and she has lots of training."

 

"Is the Captain nice?"

 

Emma paused for a second.

 

"She is... very good at flying planes."

 

Emma thought back to the smoky, intense dark eyes and red lips of the Captain.

 

_Emma. You can't have a crush on your boss. Get it together, woman._

 

Now bored with the conversation, Henry jumped off of Emma and ran back to his room. 

 

Sighing, Emma went into the kitchen to make some Macaroni and Cheese, Henry's favorite. She pulled out the blue box and got to work. 

 

* * *

 

By the time Emma had wrestled Henry through bathtime and read him three of his new plane books to get him to fall asleep, she could barely keep her eyes open. 

 

She laid her baby boy down in her bed, and stroked his soft hair. She hopped in the shower, turning it to the hottest temperature and tried to scrub all the grime off of her. She threw on a long t-shirt and some underwear, and hopped in bed beside the only boy she had ever loved. She wrapped her arm around the toddler, and he snuggled in closer to her in his sleep. She fell into a dreamless sleep, his familiar scent soothing her

 


	6. Unexpected Winds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and commenting! I hope you enjoy the newest chapter.

Regina stood outside the door that read 4A, twisting her hands nervously. She had been trying all morning to talk herself out of the stupid thing she was about to do. 

 

_You already apologized._

 

She hated apologizing, and here she was, about to apologize to the same person twice. 

 

_The first one was a really shitty apology._

 

Regina kicked herself again for making such a snap judgement after the flight yesterday. How could she do that? If anyone understood reacting without control, she did. Her thoughts turned dark and she shook her head. She recalled the shadows under the haunted green eyes of her newest flight attendant. She had seen those kind of shadows too many times in her own reflection, and she cursed the fact that she had probably added to the woman's shame and pain. She wondered, for perhaps the millionth time, why the blonde put her on edge this much. No one had this affect on her. She was calm, cool, and collected. Always. She wasn't about to let a pretty girl get in the way of that. 

 

_But she IS pretty._

 

Regina stopped that line of thinking immediately. She didn't do relationships with colleagues, no matter how irresistible she might find them. Besides, the blonde was taken by some oaf named  _Henry._ She had seen the way the green eyes softened and the blonde's face relaxed when she was speaking with him, and she was absolutely NOT jealous. 

 

Regina resumed trying to work up the courage to knock on the annoyingly cheerful blue door, practicing her speech in her head one more time. What was she supposed to say?

 

_I'm sorry I was an asshole and suck at apologies, and I swear it's not creepy that I know where you live._

 

She recalled Eugenia's look of disdain as she asked the woman for Emma Swan's address. Ruby and Kat had obviously filled the woman in. She had given Regina the address along with a command.

 

_Make it right._

 

So here she was, with a fruit basket of all things. 

 

_Stupid, Regina. Nothing says I'm sorry like a damn basket of oranges._

 

She turned to leave, losing all her nerve, when a dark haired woman stepped out of the door across the hall. 

 

"Oh! Hello, are you looking for Emma? She is a late riser, but Henry should have her up by now, if you know what I mean."

 

Regina balked at the woman's forwardness. Why was she discussing the blonde's love life so openly? She stared uncomfortably until the annoyingly chipper woman continued. 

 

"I'm Mary Margaret, by the way. I'm Emma's neighbor. It's nice to meet you."

 

"Regina Mills. A pleasure."

 

A flash of recognition lit the woman's eyes.

 

"Wait, you're Captain Regina Mills? I couldn't believe it when Emma got assigned to your route. You run the most efficient flight crew in the company. My friend Ruby works with you. I'm also a flight attendant."

 

Regina could barely keep up with the woman's erratic speech. She nodded cordially. 

 

"Speaking of which, I better get going, my flight is in four hours. It was so great meeting you!"

 

Regina again nodded noncommittally, drained from the woman's cheerfulness. She finally turned toward the door again, took a deep breath to steady herself, and knocked sharply three times. 

 

She heard a muffled yelling from the other side, followed by the sound of the lock sliding. The door opened slightly, and Regina lost all power to move or speak. 

 

Emma Swan appeared, blonde curls slightly mussed, cheeks slightly reddened, and eyes wide with surprise. She was in a long, soft looking t-shirt. Long, toned, seemingly endless, legs were uncovered. 

 

"Uhhhh... Captain Mills... Hi?"

 

Regina willed her voice to work. 

 

_Say anything. ANYTHING._

 

"Miss Swan. Hello. How are you today?"

 

"Uhhhh... Fine, thank you. Is there something I could help you with?"

 

The blonde kept looking nervously back into the apartment. What was she--- 

 

_Oh God. T-shirt. Mussed hair. Henry. Oh God. Oh shit._

 

Why had she not thought of Henry? Regina was clearly interrupting something. 

 

"Yes. Well, I realize that my apology may not have been quite sufficient yesterday, and I just wanted to reiterate again how very sorry I am for the way I reacted."

 

She held the fruit basket out awkwardly. 

 

"And I brought you this."

 

Emma looked down at the proffered basket in confusion. She looked as if she was about to say something, then a noise from behind her caught her attention. 

 

Suddenly, Regina heard an unexpectedly small voice. 

 

"Mommy, who knocked on the door?"

 

To Regina's absolute shock, a small head with a mop of shaggy brown hair on top poked through the blonde's legs. Hazel eyes looked up at her warily. 

 

"Are you a pizza lady? Mommy, did we get some pizza?"

 

Emma untangled herself and knelt down beside the boy. 

 

"No, Henry. This is Captain Mills. She flies Mommy's plane. Remember when I told you about her yesterday?"

 

The boy looked up at Regina with awe, and the brunette felt herself melt a little at the admiration in his eyes. 

 

_So this is Henry._

 

Regina couldn't help the small bit of relief she felt that Henry didn't have a chiseled jaw or a toned abs. She  _much_ preferred this scenario. 

 

"Yeah! You said she was really good at flying planes."

 

Regina smirked as the blonde's face flushed. She crouched down until she was level with earnest eyes and cheeks that hadn't quite lost their baby fat yet. 

 

"Your mother is correct. I  _am_ really good at flying planes."

 

Henry grinned at her. Then the steady stream of the toddler's thoughts and questions began. 

 

"Is flying fun? How high do you go? You are really pretty. Do you think flight 'tendants should be able to fly? I think they should."

 

Regina didn't know what to respond to. 

 

"Okay Hen, slow down. Take a breath every once in a while, kid. Why don't you go inside and let Captain Mills and I talk?"

 

Henry's lips pouted, but his mother gave him a stern look, and he scampered away. 

 

Emma widened the crack in the door. 

 

"Why don't you come in, if you have time? He'll never forgive me if I don't let him give you the most intense interrogation of your life."

 

Regina hesitated, and Emma's eyes filled with uncertainty. 

 

"Oh. I'm sorry if he bothered you. He just gets a little excited. I can tell him you needed to leave."

 

"No, wait! I'd love to come in, I just don't want to intrude."

 

Relief flooded the blonde's face. 

 

"Of course not, you brought apology oranges. How could I not invite you in?"

 

It was Emma's turn to smirk and Regina's turn to flush. 

 

"Well, judging by your son's assumption he would be eating pizza at 10 am in the morning, I'd say I made a good choice with the fruit."

 

Emma's laughter filled the air, and Regina decided she liked the sound. 

 

Regina's eyes were drawn again to a smooth expanse of thigh, and she looked up quickly, coughing.  

 

Emma caught her glance, and her eyes widened in realization. 

 

"Uhhh.. I was just getting dressed into actual human clothes. If you don't mind, you can go set that down in the kitchen and I'll be right back."

 

She hurried through a door Regina assumed led to a bedroom. She glanced around. The apartment was on the smaller side, but it was neat and clean, and felt like a  _home_.

 

Regina walked to the kitchen and sat the basket down on the table, cringing again at her choice of apology. 

 

"Oranges! I like oranges."

 

Regina whirled around to find Henry looking up at her. 

 

"May I please have an orange, Cap'n Millses?"

 

Regina hesitated, unsure. But, having already intruded, she figured there was no harm in getting the boy a healthy snack. 

 

"Of course, Henry. But you can call me Regina."

 

She opened several drawers until she found a suitable knife and a small plastic bowl. She sliced the orange and put it in the bowl. Spotting a small, plastic blue toddler seat in one of the kitchen chairs, she placed the bowl in front of it. She turned to find Henry with his arms stretched up to her expectantly. Her face softened and she reached out to pick him up and put him in his chair. 

 

His chubby fingers held gently to her shoulder, and his weight felt comfortable in her arms. His hair was soft against her cheek, and she fought the urge to breathe in deeply. 

 

"You can put me in my big boy chair now, Regina."

 

Henry's matter-of-fact voice shook her out of her reverie, and she quickly placed the boy in his seat. He immediately picked up an orange slice and began devouring it. 

 

Regina crouched until she was eye-level with Henry. 

 

"Is the orange good?"

 

Henry looked at her and tilted his head to the side, brown locks flipping across his eyes. 

 

"Yes. Thank you."

 

Henry reached out and laid his small hand on Regina's cheek. She tried not to cringe at the stickiness of the orange. 

 

"When I'm done, we can play with my planes, if you want."

 

Henry's smile was earnest, and Regina felt a lump in her throat. 

 

"I think I'd like that, Henry." 

 

 

 

 


	7. Oh Captain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just going to stop apologizing for the delays because grad school is just insane. I hope you all enjoy the latest installment. :)

Emma walked out of her bedroom and came to an abrupt halt at the sight that greeted her. 

 

Captain-Regina-freaking-Mills, the woman who prefers perfection over excellence and propriety over friendliness, is sitting in the floor with a toddler making absurd noises as she moves a toy plane around in the air. 

 

"Captain Swan, is the equipment ready for takeoff?"

 

Henry giggles at the seriously posed question. 

 

"Yes Cap'n. The plane is ready."

 

Regina nods at the boy.

 

"Prepare for takeoff."

 

Henry jumps up and screams at the top of his lungs.

 

"READY FOR TAKEOFF!"

 

"Henry! Inside voice, young man."

 

The blonde's sharp command had both brunettes turning abruptly to stare at her with shocked eyes. The younger of the two recovered much more quickly. 

 

"Regina is teaching me how to be a pilot, Mommy! When I grow up I'm gonna be just like her."

 

The woman in question was quickly getting up off the ground, trying to look dignified. Though, her eyes softened at the comment. 

 

"Thank you for your hospitality, Miss Swan. I didn't intend to intrude so much on your day. I should probably be going now."

 

Before Emma can think of an excuse to make her stay, Regina is at the front door. Henry frantically chases after her. 

 

"No Regina! Please don't go."

 

He gives her his deadliest puppy-dog eyes, tears starting to well up. Regina crouches down so she is face to face with him. 

 

"I have to go now, Henry."

 

"When will you come back?"

 

The brunette pauses. 

 

"I'd love to see you again. But, until then, will you do me a favor?"

 

Henry looks at her warily. He still hasn't decided whether or not he wants to cry. He nods slowly. 

 

"I've really been needing a new Honorary Co-Pilot. But they have to be very well-behaved and love airplanes very much. Do you think you might want to do it?"

 

Henry jumped into Regina's unexpecting arms, almost knocking her over. 

 

"Yes Regina! Please please please let me be your co-pilot! I'll be really good."

 

The brunette's eyes crinkle at the corners as she smiles the most genuine smile Emma has ever seen on her face. Something squeezes in the blonde's chest as she watches the interaction. Somehow, the badass Captain Mills has a soft spot for her son. And her son, normally wary of strangers, is smitten with her boss. 

 

Probably not as smitten as his mother is, she thinks. 

 

She shakes the thought out of her head again. 

 

_She's your boss Emma. You cannot go there._

 

Besides, Regina Mills is probably 100% totally and completely straight. And Emma knows the kind of pain that accompanies lusting after a straight woman. 

 

Regina gently removes Henry's arms.

 

"Okay, I'll be seeing you around, co-pilot."

 

Henry grins endearingly at his new title. 

 

"Miss Swan, I'll see you at work tomorrow?"

 

Regina's demeanor becomes more guarded when she speaks to Emma, and the blonde is jealous of her son for a moment, before she realizes how absurd that is. 

 

"Of course, Captain Mills. I'll see you then."

 

Emma opens the door for her, and hopes it's not too noticeable when she breathes in the brunette's perfume as she passes. 

 

When Regina gets outside the door, she turns and faces the blonde with a smirk.

 

"Oh, and if you decide to get coffee tomorrow morning, do be careful. I think enough people have gotten third degree burns from you for one week."

 

With that, she turns and walks away, leaving Emma blushing at the door. 

 

When she shuts the door, she turns to find Henry looking up at her. 

 

"I really like Regina, mommy. She's smart and pretty and nice."

 

Before Emma can respond, he continues. 

 

"Can we go get pizza for lunch?"

 

Emma just wished she could keep up with the logic of a toddler. 

 

"Yes, Hen. We can have pizza for lunch."

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Emma arrived at the gate an hour and a half before departure, making sure she had no weapons in her bag this time. This flight required them to stay at their destination overnight before flying home, and she was missing Henry already. 

 

She nods to Eugenia as she walked up to the check-in desk. 

 

The woman unceremoniously handed her boarding papers. Emma was beginning to appreciate the old woman's efficiency and dislike of pleasantries. 

 

She headed onto the plane, and was greeted by an upbeat Ruby and a calm Kathryn. 

 

Emma stowed her luggage in one of the nearest overhead bins, and began following Kat's brisk orders to ready the plane. She realizes that she has arrived before the pilots when Jones swaggers on board. 

 

"Good morning ladies. Ready for another adventure into the wild blue?"

 

Emma tries to smile, but she's pretty sure it comes out as a grimace. 

 

Jones is followed shortly after by Locksley and the woman who has been occupying the majority of Emma's thoughts for the past 24 hours. The second two pilots nod politely to the crew before placing their luggages in the storage compartments. 

 

Regina pays Emma no more or less attention than her fellow attendants, and Emma doesn't know whether she's relieved or devastated. This calm, cool, and collected woman is so far removed from the woman who played with toy planes on the floor of her apartment yesterday. Captain Mills becomes more of an enigma to Emma the longer she knows her. 

 

The interactions Emma sees between Kat and the Captain are forced and icy in contrast to their last flights, and Emma cringes because she knows it's partially because of her. She shakes off the feeling and busies herself with other tasks until she hears Kat announce that the passengers are about to begin boarding. 

 

As Emma is organizing the snacks in the flight attendants corner, Killian slinks over. 

 

"Coming out for drinks with the crew after the flight, love?"

 

He gives her what she assumes is supposed to be a dashing grin. 

 

"Oh. I, uh, don't know yet. Maybe."

 

"You should. I'm _sure_ you would have fun."

 

At this point he is extremely close to her, and she has no way of backing away. Just as Emma starts to panic, they both whirl at a sharp command.

 

"Jones. Time to get ready for takeoff."

 

Regina is staring at them. Emma swears her eyes are darker than usual. She is glad for the distraction. She slips away from the dark-haired man as the passengers begin boarding. 

 

Emma barely notices takeoff this time. She feels a sense of relief as she realizes she's adjusting to work life on a plane. The flight passes without any incidents. And she sags in relief as the last passenger exits the plane. 

 

"Hey Ems! We usually all head over to the hotel together. Are you coming out for drinks?"

 

Ruby has already adopted a nickname for her, and Emma doesn't mind. She likes Ruby, and it's been a long time since she's had a friend her own age. 

 

"I don't know. I'm kind of tired..."

 

"Oh come on. Granny has more energy than you."

 

Emma laughs. 

 

"Fine, I'll come out for a few drinks."

 

"A few? We'll see about that."

 

Ruby grins wickedly, and Emma wonders what she has just gotten herself into. 

 

* * *

 

 

She opens her suitcase on the bed, not bothering to unpack anything for the brief, one-night stay. She slips out of her God-forsaken flight attendant's uniform. She wasn't really planning on going out, so her wardrobe options are limited. She shrugs and slips on her dark skinny jeans, a tight white tank top, and her trusty, red jacket. 

 

She pulls the pins out of the severe bun required by Enchanted's dress code, and shakes out her loose blonde curls. She touches up her makeup and applies some clear gloss to her lips. After a brief look at herself in the mirror, she nods. 

 

She heads down to the lobby to meet the rest of her crew at the designated location. Ruby is already there, waving frantically. Kat stands beside her. It is slightly jarring to see the woman out of her attendant uniform. She looks only slightly less rigid than during flight. Robin follows shortly after Emma, looking ruggedly handsome in a flannel button up and dark jeans. Killian walks down the stairs in dark jeans and a black leather jacket. He walks with a swagger that says he knows exactly how good he looks. He addresses the group as he walks up. 

 

"Has Her Majesty deigned to grace us with her presence tonight?"

 

Kat rolls her eyes at the man's arrogance. 

 

"Yes. Regina just had to make a few calls. She'll be down soon. Ah. Here she is now."

 

Emma turned around, and her mouth went dry. She wasn't religious, but she was thanking every god there was. The brunette was walking casually down the stairs. Her toned legs were encased in tight black leather pants, and she wore a cobalt blue cropped top that showcased a tantalizing strip of olive skin. Her eyes were smoky, and Emma knew she was in big trouble. 

 

Killian whistled low. 

 

"Damn, Mills could take a ride in my cockpit anytime."

 

Robin shot him a dark look. 

 

"Have some respect, you arrogant asshole. 

 

"Sorry Locksley, didn't mean to encroach on your territory."

 

Killian's voice said he wasn't sorry at all. 

 

Emma's heart sank.

 

_So Regina and Robin are together. Damn._

 

"Well, are we ready?"

 

The sultry voice drew Emma's attention back to the brunette. She gulped as she tried to refrain from staring at Regina for too long. It was physically painful to  _not_ look at her when she looked like  _that._

 

The group left the hotel, and Emma held the door open for Regina. Their arms brushed briefly as Regina passed, and Emma nearly jolted at the unintentional contact. She stood there for a solid five seconds, dumbstruck. 

 

"Keep up, Miss Swan. The night hasn't even started yet."

 

The raspy voice jarred Emma back into motion. 

 

"Ha. I'd say you aren't capable of keeping up with me, Captain."

 

Maroon lips widened around perfect white teeth in a wicked smile. 

 

"Miss Swan, you have no idea what I'm capable of."

 

 

 

 


End file.
